Week 47 - Davis Cup Finals - Madrid, Spain - (Indoor, Hard).

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 47 - Davis Cup Finals - Madrid, Spain - (Indoor, Hard).

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
It can be curiously fascinating ( and we do want to know how GB stand ) but to me this 6 groups with 2 best runners up set-up remains appalling.

Tennis shouldn't turn into a Maths exercuse involving sets and ganes won but simply be about winning and losing matches, however you get there.

Particularly when one side gets given a 6-0 6-0 walk-over because their opponents have already qualified and choose not to contest the doubles.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I agree with you Indi - sport should be about winning or losing not a maths exercise.

Good news is that Jamie and Neal win the first set 6-4, Jamie appears to be playing well at the net; I am not watching so only reading the BBC live report text.

The Germans and Argentines are neck to neck in their final set - seldom do I support the Germans in sport, but heh.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Did anything NOT happen in that final game of the 1st set.

0-40 to deuce. 4 BPs saved in all. Stoppages because of advertising hoardings misbehaving. Net cords on crucial points.

But we got over the line 6-4 in the end.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

The last 8 is shaping up:

Top half:

Winner Group A (Serbia or France winner) v wildcard runner up

Winner Group D (Australia or Belgium winner) v Canada

Bottom half:

Winner Group E (either of GB or Kaz, NL will end up with a -ve rubbers win/loss record whatever happens v GB) v Winner Group C (almost certainly Germany)

Winner Group B (almost certainly Spain) v wildcard runner up

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Wednesday 20th of November 2019 05:44:58 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

By the 5 Live Sports Extra commentary sounds like Neal is having a stormer.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Andy and Novak call out the Canadians

metro.co.uk/2019/11/20/andy-murray-novak-djokovic-criticise-canada-handing-usa-davis-cup-walkover-11189756/

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

It is almost 7 pm in Madrid; Jamie and Neal wont finish for a while, lets be generous and say the Aussie match is on court at 8-8.30. If they play 2 hours per match and have rests in between, then we are looking at maybe a 3 am finish tonight, perhaps later.

I dont think this can be right? Morning play should start at 9.30 am and evening target a 5 pm start to have a chance.

Looking at the semis, they are also playing 6 pm in the evening. So a winning semifinalist could easily be playing into the early hours before the final the next day. The semifinal match going off in the morning will provide the winner with a big advantage.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Andy and Novak call out the Canadians

metro.co.uk/2019/11/20/andy-murray-novak-djokovic-criticise-canada-handing-usa-davis-cup-walkover-11189756/

Good point about Canada not having a full team of 5 at outset. And I believe that they are not the only short handed team here.

If you want to take that risk and then can''t fulfil a fixture in this set-up, being booted out would seem quite appropriate. Unfortunately clearly not thought through propery in advance of the rules being set.

wolf · Tennis legend

One of the organisatising committee was on 5 Live earlier saying they were potentially looking at cutting the doubles to regular tour format in the future because of this issue.

Jan · Hall of fame

wolf wrote:
One of the organisatising committee was on 5 Live earlier saying they were potentially looking at cutting the doubles to regular tour format in the future because of this issue.

I have to say that would be ridiculous in my opinion. I hate that format anyway, and to have it in the "DC" would just devalue it even more. If they must, maybe play sets to 4 games rather than 6. I cannot believe I just typed that.

indiana · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
One of the organisatising committee was on 5 Live earlier saying they were potentially looking at cutting the doubles to regular tour format in the future because of this issue.

Noooo !!!

Doubles is not the problem here. Let them have 'proper' matches at such an event ( or demean it and doubles further )

Here's an idea. How about the organising committee being more competent and coming up with much better scheduling that still allows proper doubles matches.

No ads and MTBs in Davis Cup Finals? - huge steps too far!

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 20th of November 2019 09:17:07 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
It can be curiously fascinating ( and we do want to know how GB stands ) but to me this 6 groups with 2 best runners up set-up remains appalling.

Tennis shouldn't turn into a Maths exercise involving sets and games won but simply be about winning and losing matches, however you get there.

I guess the Aussie coach had a little pre finals sit down with Nick Kyrgios re every game potentially counting!

Although even without the runners up aspect if you have groups there is still the potential for sets and games being needed to decide.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
By the 5 Live Sports Extra commentary sounds like Neal is having a stormer.

Yes. He is.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

GB having a stormer since i got back in the house. Hopefullu they can get the break here.